A Different Kind of Friendship
by paradisegurl101
Summary: Holly comes to see Artemis to reveal to him her true feelings. How does he take it? One shot. Post TLC


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Artemis Fowl.

This is my first one shot. Please review to tell me what you think because I find this story passes fast and kind of strange, so I appreciate anything anyone has to say. Also, I know that after TLC, Artemis would technically be referred to as "mudman" but to Holly, he'll always be her little "mudboy".

* * *

A Different Kind of Friendship

"Hi, Artemis," Holly said as Artemis finally answered her call on the communicator.

"Hello, Holly. How are you?"

"Good, actually. I have to talk to you about something. Can I come aboveground?"

"Of course. I was meaning to have a chat with you anyway. I'm a little busy today, but I suppose you can come. How about coming in two hours?"

"Perfect. I'll see you soon!"

"Yes. Goodbye."

"Bye!"

Holly's heart was racing fast. This was her chance to tell Artemis how she really felt. It took a lot of thinking through, nonetheless. Recently, she didn't understand why the mudboy's presence would make her feel slightly nervous, or why she thought of him before she went to bed, and when she woke up in the morning. After asking Foaly and making a complete fool out of herself as he laughed at the situation, the centaur finally explained, after several laugh fits, that she was in love with him. The elf definitely did not accept it at first, but there was no other explanation. Holly Short was in love with a mudboy. She loved Artemis.

* * *

Holly was at last aboveground, in mudman territory. She was flying with her shield on as she made her way to Fowl Manor. 

_I wonder what his reaction will be… I hope he doesn't take it badly. _

She struggled to keep her composure. She was extremely nervous thinking about his reaction to what she would say.

_It isn't too late to turn back, you know… _

_Never! It's about time I told him anyway. _

She arrived to her destination and alighted down expertly on the Fowl's rooftop, near Artemis' bedroom window. She walked the few paces and peeked inside. The genius was there, so she knocked gently on the glass.

Artemis immediately turned to see where the noise was coming from and grinned when he saw a slight shimmer outside his window.

"Holly, what a wonderful surprise!"

"Gee, it is a surprise, considering I asked you if I could come over." Holly rolled her eyes.

"Please, come in."

She climbed in through the window with Artemis' help.

She observed the mudboy's room for a moment. It was a very… enclosed space.

_How uncomfortable._

"Can we go outside?"

"Holly, you know I don't like sunlight. It's so bright."

"It'll do you some good. All those hours with technology has made your skin so pale."

Artemis sighed in defeat as they went down to the main floor. He didn't want to be going out the window. Butler was in the kitchen talking with his sister, Juliet, who had taken a break from her pro-wrestling carrier.

"Holly!" the girl exclaimed. When Butler had told everything to the Fowl family about elves, Juliet was there listening, and in the process, something made her remember her adventures with the People. She decided to remain silent and told Butler to do the same, or else Artemis Fowl Senior and Angeline would think he was even crazier than they thought he already was when he mentioned the word 'fairies' at the very beginning of the conversation.

"Juliet, it's good to see you!"

They hugged each other and then the elf faced Butler.

"It's good to see you, too, Butler!"

"It's been a while, Holly."

They hugged too, though it was hard for her not to be completely enveloped in his large arms.

"Old friend, Holly and I are going to chat outside."

The ex-bodyguard nodded.

They left through the rear door to stroll in the backyard.

"We should get binoculars, Dom!" squealed Juliet excitedly.

"I think something's gonna happen between the two."

"I thought Artemis liked Minerva."

"Stick with the program, Dom! He's really in love with Holly. He thought it would never work out and tried to go with Minerva instead, but he knows it isn't right!" Her brother sighed.

"If you say so, Juliet. If you say so."

* * *

Holly lied on her back in the long grass flowing in the wind. Artemis hesitantly followed her lead, but sat alternatively, trying to save his suit from green stains. 

"So, you said you wanted to tell me something?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, I do. Artemis, I—" He suddenly remembered that he had something important to say too.

"By the way, Holly. I need your opinion on something. Foaly had just sent me his latest invention. I find it horrible. Should I tell him, or would that just deflate that large head of his?"

"Um… Yeah, sure, whatever. Artemis—"

"Well, deflating that head of his _would_ actually do everyone some good—"

"Artemis!" she felt horribly uneasy. He was making the situation harder than it already was.

"What? Oh, I know it's not a good idea. It would be mean of me. Well, then again…" he continued with a wide smile spread across his face.

Holly was fed up. She was trying to tell him that she loved him and all he cared about was some stupid invention! She got up and was about to make her leave, but he grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Holly, wait!"

"To do _what_?" she asked angrily.

"I'm sorry. I know what you were going to say."

"And?" He remained quiet. And what? What should he tell her? He knew exactly what his friend was going to say. He knew it, but something stopped him from wanting to hear it. Maybe… Just maybe the great Artemis Fowl was afraid of having to reveal his true feelings towards her after she would have told him. Holly immediately saw this in his eyes.

"Artemis! For once in your life, can't you just _try_ to tell someone how you feel? I'm so tired of you being too cold for emotions! I though that was the old you. The childish you who kidnapped me all those years ago," Holly shouted out, frustrated.

"I just want you to tell me how you feel. If you don't like me, then I'll leave for good, but if you do like me… I don't want to leave thinking of what could have been for the rest of my life."

Holly started crying. Her tears fell on her soft cheeks, sliding down the rest of her beautiful face.

Artemis couldn't stand it anymore. His hands were clutched in fists, but he finally let go. He walked up to Holly, so close he could hear her trying to stop her sobs. Then, the teenager suddenly touched her lips with his. That moment was swift but in the same time lasted forever.

"I love you," he said as they finally parted.

"When I see you, I freeze, then my heart starts beating wildly. I await long conversations with you on the communicator, even if we had just been on an adventure together that very day. When I hear your voice, I just want to drown in it. When you punch me in that joking matter, I don't care if it hurts, because you touched me. When you're near, I smell that faint coconut perfume you tell me you don't wear. When you take leave, my heart cries out for you."

Artemis Fowl stopped. He said what he had to say. He used to wonder if this would ever happen, and prepared all the right words for it, but this just blurted out.

He put his arms around her back and hugged tightly. Holly's hands were holding on to his chest very strongly. They both enjoyed that feeling. That feeling of knowing that somebody in the vast world actually cared about them. Artemis obviously knew that there was Butler, Father and Mother, though somehow, this was completely different. As for Holly, the elf didn't even remember about this warm, fuzzy feeling until she set eyes on the mudboy she had known for some time now.

* * *

"I told you they liked each other," said Juliet joyfully, looking at the two through her binoculars. 

"I can see that now," Butler smiled as he watched too.

"They were _meant_ to be together," Juliet said with a dreamy sigh.

The man nodded in agreement.

* * *

Outside, the sun was shining brightly. Artemis and Holly were on the grass, leaning against a tree where the sunlight entered partially (the mudboy not caring if his suit was wrecked anymore), deep in a passionate kiss. They didn't have a care in the world, for they had each other.

* * *

Please review. 

Are the characters OOC? I didn't have enough time for character development, seeing as this is a one shot.

Have a wonderful day!


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